Leviticus 25:28

Posted on April 25, 2006 by Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Lv 25:28 quod si non invenerit manus eius ut reddat pretium, habebit emptor quod emerat, usque ad annum iubileum. In ipso enim omnis venditio redibit ad dominum, et ad possessorem pristinum.

but if his means do not suffice to repay the price, the buyer shall keep what he bought until the year of jubilee. For in it every sale will return to the owner, and to the former possessor.

# Latin Gloss Grammar Tag
1 quod but CONJ
2 si if CONJ
3 non not ADV
4 invenerit has found 3SG.FUTP.SUBJ.ACT
5 manus means NOM.SG.F.4TH.DECL
6 eius of him GEN.SG.PERS
7 ut to CONJ
8 reddat repay 3SG.PRES.SUBJ.ACT
9 pretium price ACC.SG.N.2ND.DECL
10 habebit will have 3SG.FUT.IND.ACT
11 emptor buyer NOM.SG.M.3RD.DECL
12 quod what ACC.SG.N.REL
13 emerat had bought 3SG.PLUP.IND.ACT
14 usque until ADV
15 ad to PREP+ACC
16 annum year ACC.SG.M.2ND.DECL
17 iubileum jubilee ACC.SG.N.2ND.DECL
18 In in PREP+ABL
19 ipso itself ABL.SG.M.DEM
20 enim for CONJ
21 omnis every NOM.SG.F.ADJ
22 venditio sale NOM.SG.F.3RD.DECL
23 redibit will return 3SG.FUT.IND.ACT
24 ad to PREP+ACC
25 dominum owner ACC.SG.M.2ND.DECL
26 et and CONJ
27 ad to PREP+ACC
28 possessorem possessor ACC.SG.M.3RD.DECL
29 pristinum former ACC.SG.M.ADJ

Syntax

Alternative Condition: quod si non invenerit manus eius ut reddat pretium — conditional clause with future perfect subjunctive and a purpose clause explaining inability to repay.
Main Rule: habebit emptor quod emerat — future indicative granting temporary possession to the buyer.
Temporal Limit: usque ad annum iubileum — fixed endpoint for the buyer’s holding.
Causal Explanation: In ipso enim omnis venditio redibit — explanatory clause grounding the rule in jubilee law.
Restorative Goal: ad dominum et ad possessorem pristinum — double prepositional phrase expressing full restoration.

Morphology

  1. quod — Lemma: quod; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: transitional marker; Translation: but; Notes: Introduces an alternative legal case.
  2. si — Lemma: si; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: conditional; Translation: if; Notes: Frames a contingent situation.
  3. non — Lemma: non; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: negation; Translation: not; Notes: Negates ability to repay.
  4. invenerit — Lemma: invenio; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future perfect subjunctive active; Function: verb of the condition; Translation: has found; Notes: Anticipates whether sufficient means exist.
  5. manus — Lemma: manus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine, fourth declension; Function: subject of invenerit; Translation: means; Notes: Idiomatically denotes resources or capacity.
  6. eius — Lemma: is; Part of Speech: personal pronoun; Form: genitive singular; Function: modifies manus; Translation: of him; Notes: Refers to the original seller.
  7. ut — Lemma: ut; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: introduces purpose; Translation: to; Notes: Links means with intended repayment.
  8. reddat — Lemma: reddo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular present subjunctive active; Function: verb of the purpose clause; Translation: repay; Notes: Subjunctive required after ut.
  9. pretium — Lemma: pretium; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter, second declension; Function: direct object of reddat; Translation: price; Notes: The redemption amount owed.
  10. habebit — Lemma: habeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future indicative active; Function: main verb; Translation: will have; Notes: Grants temporary possession by law.
  11. emptor — Lemma: emptor; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular masculine, third declension; Function: subject of habebit; Translation: buyer; Notes: The current holder pending jubilee.
  12. quod — Lemma: qui; Part of Speech: relative pronoun; Form: accusative singular neuter; Function: object of habebit; Translation: what; Notes: Refers to the purchased property.
  13. emerat — Lemma: emo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular pluperfect indicative active; Function: verb of the relative clause; Translation: had bought; Notes: Places the purchase prior to the present rule.
  14. usque — Lemma: usque; Part of Speech: adverb; Form: invariable; Function: extent marker; Translation: until; Notes: Indicates a fixed temporal boundary.
  15. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing the accusative; Function: expresses limit; Translation: to; Notes: Completes the temporal expression.
  16. annum — Lemma: annus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine, second declension; Function: object of ad; Translation: year; Notes: Specifies the jubilee year.
  17. iubileum — Lemma: iubileum; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular neuter, second declension; Function: modifies annum; Translation: jubilee; Notes: The mandated year of restoration.
  18. In — Lemma: in; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing the ablative; Function: expresses time; Translation: in; Notes: Refers back to the jubilee.
  19. ipso — Lemma: ipse; Part of Speech: demonstrative pronoun; Form: ablative singular masculine; Function: object of in; Translation: itself; Notes: Emphasizes the specific year.
  20. enim — Lemma: enim; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: explanation; Translation: for; Notes: Introduces rationale.
  21. omnis — Lemma: omnis; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: nominative singular feminine; Function: modifies venditio; Translation: every; Notes: Universal scope without exception.
  22. venditio — Lemma: venditio; Part of Speech: noun; Form: nominative singular feminine, third declension; Function: subject of redibit; Translation: sale; Notes: The legal transaction subject to reversal.
  23. redibit — Lemma: redeo; Part of Speech: verb; Form: third person singular future indicative active; Function: main verb; Translation: will return; Notes: Expresses automatic restoration.
  24. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing the accusative; Function: goal; Translation: to; Notes: Marks direction of restoration.
  25. dominum — Lemma: dominus; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine, second declension; Function: object of ad; Translation: owner; Notes: The rightful holder.
  26. et — Lemma: et; Part of Speech: conjunction; Form: invariable; Function: coordination; Translation: and; Notes: Adds clarification.
  27. ad — Lemma: ad; Part of Speech: preposition; Form: governing the accusative; Function: goal; Translation: to; Notes: Reiterates restoration direction.
  28. possessorem — Lemma: possessor; Part of Speech: noun; Form: accusative singular masculine, third declension; Function: object of ad; Translation: possessor; Notes: Identifies the human holder.
  29. pristinum — Lemma: pristinus; Part of Speech: adjective; Form: accusative singular masculine; Function: modifies possessorem; Translation: former; Notes: Emphasizes restoration to the original holder.

 

About Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus

Born around 346 A.D. in Stridon, St. Jerome was a scholar fluent in Latin, Greek, and Hebrew whose ascetic discipline and deep engagement with Scripture prepared him for a monumental task: translating the Bible into Latin. Commissioned by Pope Damasus I around 382 A.D., Jerome began by revising the flawed Old Latin Gospels, then expanded his work to the entire Bible. For the New Testament, he corrected Latin texts using Greek manuscripts; for the Old Testament, he translated most books directly from Hebrew—a controversial but principled choice. His final Psalter, however, followed the Greek Septuagint tradition for liturgical use. This composite translation, later known as the Vulgate (editio vulgata), became the authoritative biblical text of the Western Church, formally endorsed at the Council of Trent in 1546. The Vulgate’s influence extends beyond theology into textual criticism and Latin education. As one of the earliest translations grounded in original-language scholarship, it offers a vital witness to the state of biblical texts in late antiquity. Jerome’s lexical and syntactic decisions are studied to trace manuscript history and assess variant readings. Its elegant Latin, consistent in grammar and rich in vocabulary, became a model for medieval and Renaissance learning, bridging classical and ecclesiastical Latin. More than a translation, the Vulgate helped define Christian doctrine, preserved the Latin language, and laid essential groundwork for the critical study of Scripture—remaining indispensable to students of Latin, theology, and textual history.
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